OPINION: SNAP should never be a political weapon

By Congressman Bennie G. Thompson

U.S. House of Representatives, Mississippi’s Second District

Many Mississippians – including a single mother caring for her children and elderly parent – count on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) to make sure they have food on the table. 

In past shutdowns, like in 2013 and 2019, families still got their SNAP benefits on time, but this time the Trump Administration chose to delay it. Now that the shutdown has ended, families across Mississippi can finally expect to receive their full SNAP benefits. 

During the shutdown, the Trump Administration chose to play political games with people’s lives. Instead of providing stability and compassion, they fueled unnecessary fear and confusion among millions of Americans who depend on SNAP to feed their families. 

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) had $5 billion in emergency funds ready to support families across this country. Rather than ensure that no family went hungry, this Republican administration chose to hold basic nutrition assistance hostage to politics. Even after multiple courts ordered the government to release those funds, the Trump administration refused to comply, deliberately delaying help to those who need it most. The money was there; the will to act was not. 

This was the longest Republican government shutdown in American history, and during those weeks thousands of families in Mississippi’s Second Congressional District – and across the nation – faced real uncertainty about where their next meal would come from. Today, SNAP remains the nation’s largest food security program, helping children, seniors, and people with disabilities stay healthy. In Mississippi alone, over 350,000 people rely on it each month. 

Governor Reeves had the power to help sooner, but he only partially used it. His decision to issue just 65 percent of November SNAP benefits came nearly two weeks after families stopped receiving food assistance. At no point did he offer a proactive state plan to protect families from future disruption. Instead, he chose to finger-point and spread false information. 

Now that the shutdown has ended and full federal funding has been restored, the Mississippi Department of Human Services (MDHS) has begun issuing full November benefits for households. Families with regular issuance dates from November 14 to 21 are expected to receive their full benefits on schedule, and December benefits are expected to arrive on time. This process is already underway across the state. 

This crisis didn’t happen overnight. In July 2025, President Trump signed H.R. 1 (the “Big Ugly Bill”) into law, which included the largest cuts to SNAP in history, totaling nearly $200 billion over the next decade. These cuts reduce benefit amounts, create new restrictions on who can qualify, and shift more costs to states like Mississippi, which already struggles to provide enough food and health care for families in need. Our state has one of the highest rates of hunger in the country, with about one in six people struggling to afford food.

Governor Tate Reeves has followed the same pattern of rejecting programs that provide food and health care to families in need. He opted out of the USDA’s Summer Nutrition (SUN) program in 2024 and 2025, denying children meals when school cafeterias were closed. He consistently opposes Medicaid expansion under the Affordable Care Act (ACA), which would provide health coverage to about 200,000 Mississippians. Had Mississippi approved Medicaid expansion when it first became available, the state would have collected nearly $15 billion in federal funds to support hospitals and strengthen communities. Reeves called it an “unwise expansion of Medicaid.” When families lose access to health care, their ability to afford food, medicine, and other essentials comes under threat. 

In the richest country in the world, no family should ever have to go hungry. Both the President and the Governor have the power – and the responsibility – to make sure every family has food on their kitchen table. 

During the shutdown, I was in Washington, D.C., every week. Meanwhile, House Republicans remained missing in action until November 12, when they finally returned to work.  

As the only Democrat in Mississippi’s Congressional Delegation, I will continue to fight to ensure that families in Mississippi’s Second Congressional District are protected.